Dazzling
by nanjarohoihoi
Summary: Casey has never heard of RJ's reading material. The rest of the staff at JKP, on the other hand, has. RJ/Casey


**Dazzling**

Casey's confusion begins when Dom finds RJ's copy of "Twilight" and brings it downstairs with him to the kitchen. Theo notices it immediately. "Are you sure it's RJ's?" he asks when Dom explains why he's holding the book.

Dom shrugs. "It was half open in his chair."

Theo considers this. "RJ does watch Judge Jamey," he admits with obvious distaste.

When Fran enters the kitchen to pick up an order, she also notices the soft cover novel in Dom's hands. She looks back and forth between it and Dom and her eyes go wide. Dom panics.

"It's not mine!" he says quickly. "It's RJ's!"

Fran seems to accept his defense, but she crosses her arms over her chest and huffs, "Well, good. I was worried there for a second."

It is at this point that Casey realizes that he has absolutely no idea what's going on. "What's 'Twilight'?" he asks innocently.

Theo grimaces. "You may be better off not knowing."

"Come on," Casey says, still unsure of what the novel is about. "No book can be that bad."

Fran's hands are suddenly waving in the air at a frantic pace and Casey can just make it out as she mutters something about inaccurate vampires and female role models under her breath.

"Look, Fran," Dom says reasonably, "just because we don't like the book doesn't mean it's horrible. It just means that we will make fun of RJ for reading it at every opportunity that presents itself. From now until the end of time."

Casey puts a pizza into the oven and then asks, "Is it really that bad?"

Dom opens the novel, flips a few pages, and narrates the passage with apparent amusement: "_His skin, white despite the faint flush from yesterday's hunting trip, literally sparkled, like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in the surface. He lay perfectly still in the grass, his shirt open over his sculpted, incandescent chest, his scintillating arms bare._"

When he finishes, Dom ignores Theo and Fran's protests, flips through the book, and reads another part of the text: "''_Just because I'm resisting the wine doesn't mean I can't appreciate the bouquet,' he whispered. 'You have a very floral smell, like lavender. . . or freesia._'"

Theo snorts and Fran raises her hands in defeat, grabs a pizza, and heads for the restaurant proper.

"It doesn't sound that bad," Casey admits sheepishly.

Dom shrugs, handing Casey the book. "Read it yourself."

Casey accepts it hesitantly, and as he cracks open the pages, Lily enters the kitchen. "Table eight is still waiting on their pizza," she points out, her words harboring no malice. She smiles instinctively as she looks around the kitchen. "What are you guys doing in here?"

Theo gestures a thumb in Casey's direction. "Casey's never heard of 'Twilight'", he informs her, and Lily can't help but laugh.

Eyes dancing with amusement, she asks him, "You've never heard of sparkling vampires?"

Skimming the pages, he waves at her absently. "I'm working on it."

Casey takes the book with him when he goes to serve table six their order of nachos. When he returns to the kitchen, he leans against the counter and continues reading. He's only half paying attention as Theo brings Lily up to speed.

Lily wonders, "Why would RJ read it?"

Dom shrugs. "It has werewolves in it, I think."

Lily doesn't seem all that satisfied with Dom's answer, so Theo raises an eyebrow at her. "I don't know, 'Lil. Why does RJ watch reality television?"

RJ chooses this moment to come down from the loft. "Because it provides quality entertainment?" he answers with a rising intonation that succeeds in getting their attention instantly. His eyes sweep the state of the kitchen and he comments, "I take it you're all being productive."

Dom grins and appears to be trying very hard not to laugh, and when RJ opens his mouth to question this, Fran re-enters the kitchen, causing Casey to look up. He shakes his head, incredulous, as if he can't believe the words on the page, and reads aloud, "'_Do I dazzle you?_'"

He happens to make eye contact with RJ, who clearly recognizes the book in Casey's hands. RJ doesn't ask where Casey got it, or bother to mention that Casey has better things to be doing during his shift, like working. Instead, he pauses in thought for a moment, and then with an enigmatic sort of half-smile on his face, he tells Casey, "Yes. Yes, you do."

Casey takes a moment to process this, his face contorting with the effort. But after RJ exits into the restaurant, Casey grins from ear to ear.

"You know," he tells the others, lifting the novel into the air in one hand. "Maybe this book isn't so bad."

Fran lets out a frustrated groan, Lily and Dom laugh, and Casey can't help but chuckle when he hears Theo mutter quietly that he hopes RJ won't tell Casey that he smells like freesia.


End file.
